Mail-bag fastener.



No. 633,546. Patented Sept. l9, I899. F. L. CARLTON &. n. H. commas.

MAIL BAG FASTENEB.

(Application flleq Apr. 18, 1899.) (No Model.) J 2 Sheats8heet warm oz 1 .60725672/ #m aw i 607????7'6. 42 %@M Patented Sept. 19, I899. F. L. CARLTON & D. H. CONNERS.

MAIL BAG FASTENER.

(Application filed Apr. 13, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

,DW/ZZZE 6221206729,

ilrrrrno STATES PATENT @FFiCEi.

FRANK LOGAN CARLTON AND DAVID H. OONNERS, OF SULLIVAN, MAINE, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO \VILLIAM O. EMERY, OF SAME PLACE.

MAI L--B AG FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,546, dated September 19, 1899.

Application filed April 13, 1899. Serial No. 712,914. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK LOGAN CARL- TON and DAvID l-I. CONNERS, citizens of the United States, residing at Sullivan, in the county of Hancock and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Fasteners; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as to will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This improvement relates to mail-bags and fasteners therefor.

The object of the invention is to provide a mail-bag and fastener therefor which will be simple and inexpensive in construction, efficient in operation, convenient for handling, and readily fastened and unfastened.

In the drawings forming a part of this speci- 2o fication, Figure 1 is a perspective of the upper end of the mail bag or sack closed and locked.

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the bag partially open with one of the flaps raised. Fig.

3 is a plan of the bag partially opened with both of the flaps folded back. Fig. 4 is a perspective showing the bag open. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6- is a detail section showing the metallic gromet or reinforce for slots through the flaps at the month of the bag. Fig. 7 is a detail section through one of the outer plates and the fastening-slide.

1 is a bag or sack made of leather, canvas,

or other suitable flexible fabric, the closure 5 of which is obtained by folding the opposite sides diagonally inward, as shown at 2 2, and

then folding the doubled fabric inward on the crease 3 to close the mouth, as shown in Fig.

1, the mouth part or closure consisting of six or more thicknesses of fabric. The upper end of the bag terminates in flaps 4 4:, having slots or holes 5 5 arranged along the margin, these holes being reinforced and protected by metallic bindings or gromets 6 6. On opposite 4 5 sides of the fabric, at opposite sides of the bag,

are secured metallic plates 7 7. The inner plates are provided with slots to register with the slots in the flaps at the mouth of the bag.

One of the outer plates has secured to it a series of staples S 8, arranged and adapted to pass through the slots in the inner plates and the flaps, as shown particularly in .Fig. 5. The other outer plate has secured to it in a suitable manner a sliding part 9, carrying hooks or tongues 10, which serve as a keeper or fastener to securely hold the parts together when the mouth of the bag is closed. The part 9 also carries a hasp 11, which engages one of the staples 8, the same being secured in position by a suitable lock 12. As shown in the drawings, the sliding part 9 is secured to its outer plate 7 by means of headed studs or rivet-s 13 working in slots in said sliding piece. Obviously any other suitable means of slidably coupling these parts may be adopted without affecting the purposes of our invention. The gromet or binding for the slots in the fabric is conveniently made by surrounding the opening or slot on one side with a slotted plate of brass or like substance and then folding from the opposite side of the fabric a second brass plate in the nature of an eyelet, as particularly shown in Fig. 6.

In the form in which we have shown our invention, and which is the preferred form, we have secured on the inside of the fabric, opposite the outer plates 7 7, inner plates, as shown. Obviously the inner plates might be omitted without seriously affecting the operation of our invention.

In order to fill the sack or bag, it is opened to position shown in Fig. at. Afterbeing filled the sides are folded inward to position shown in Fig. 3. Then one of the flapsis folded so as to embrace the staples 8, as shown in Fig. 2, after which the remaining flap is also in like manner folded into position over the staples. Then the angular parts of the closure are folded together, as shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the sliding part 9, carrying the keepers 9o 10, is shot into position shown in Fig. 5 and the hasp closed over the end staple and locked.

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A mail-bag having corner-fold closure, and folding flaps provided with slots, longitudinally-disposed metallic plates secured to the outside'of the fabric on opposite sides of the bag, extending from the flaps downward, 109 one of the outer plates carrying staples adapted to extend through the slots, and the other outer plate carrying a sliding member with a plurality of hooks for engaging the staples, substantially as described. 7

2. A eorner-fold-closure mail-bag having folding flaps at its month, each flap being provided with a plurality of grometed slots, longitudinally-disposed metallic plates secured to the outer and inner sides of the fabric on the opposite sides of the bag, the inner plates having slots to register with the grometed slots in the fabric and all the plates extending from the flaps downward to the bottom of the fold, and means for interlocking the outer metallic plates, substantially as described.

3. A corner-fold-closure mail-bag having folding flaps at its mouth, provided with grometed slots, longitudinally-disposed metallic plates secured to opposite sides of the fabric vided with tongues or hooks for engaging the staples, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa-- tures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK LOGAN CARLTON. DAVID H. CONNERS. WVitnesses:

IVORY L. WARDWELL, LESLIE W. NEWCOMB. 

